The score was 24-21.
Sounds like a close, exciting game, huh?
Such was to be expected in the match-up between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Hokies of Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl.
One would have figured that if Kansas could get their offense rolling—watch out. Or if Va. Tech came out strong on defense—watch out.
But the gameball went to the Kansas defense. After totaling just 20 sacks for the whole season (80th in the nation), the Jayhawks came out and had 4 in the first quarter alone.
Kansas had already scored a few times before the Hokies actually realized they were playing football. Halftime was classic Lee Corso exclaiming, “Some second-half adjustments are definitely needed in this one, Brad!”
The second half mostly featured KU flailing around the field, tamping down a VT comeback that was futile at best. The Jayhawks had half-heartedly reached the red zone twice in the 4th quarter only to turn the ball over—not that it honestly mattered. For a team that people had mocked all season long, Kansas looked not only like the only team to show up to play, but also as though it truly outmatched Tech with athletes of an upper echelon.
Today's Must Reads
Who’da thunk?
Of course, the game would have gone much differently had the Hokies inserted their great coach, Frank Beamer, in at the QB position. With the way he was throwing that clipboard around the field, someone really should have put a football in HIS hands instead.
So this begs the question: KU plays a whole season and goes 11-1.
Whoop-dee-freakin-doo: LSU went 10-2—beat that (which they did).
Then KU gets to play 3rd-ranked VT in a game that’s supposedly not even going to be close—and instead of noting the Jayhawks stellar season record, the tumultuous crowd screams, “Mizzou should be in that game instead!”
Of course, KU didn’t happen to get blasted twice by the same team in one regular season.
If the game of basketball hadn't been invented by a professor at KU, and were the Phogg not college basketball's most legendary home court, wouldn't this be a much different debate? The truth of the matter is that Kansas is and always will be a basketball school, as long as kids in the Sunflower State continue bouncing basketballs off the barn door for practice.
But take a non-basketball school, for example, Ohio State. Ohio State is just about the only NCAA team that plays in a BCS conference that had a weaker schedule than KU, who at least did leave their own state for pre-conference play. Ohio State's only loss is to Illinois, which finished the season much less spectacularly than Mizzou, who was KU's only loss. Kansas also played a tougher conference schedule; the Big XII is ranked 2nd in the Sagarin rankings--the Big 10, 6th.
Kansas fans can understand being left out of the national championship debate. But loyal Jayhawks don't understand why their team is not even ranked in the top 4. Kansas was ranked 8th going into the Orange Bowl, now ranked 7th after "finally playing someone." Jayhawk fans literally must be foaming at the mouth that proving themselves "finally" did absolutely nothing, especially considering that 3 teams in front of KU lost their last game and KU is now the only BCS team with 1 loss.
In the end it's, "No cigar," for KU, and no Gatorade bath for Mark Mangino. There isn't enough left over after that incredible Orange Bowl performance.
comments (5) write a comment »
write a new comment
7 months ago
and of coarse , KU didn't happen to lose to Mizzou.............. oh wait.
7 months ago
until KU establishes itself as a legit football team over the next years to come, overrated big name football programs like OSU will get the benefit of the doubt and be put ahead. OSU had the weaker schedule and lost to a worse team than Kansas did on their home turf. And of course, OSU didn't happen to lose to Illinois, at home............. oh wait.
7 months ago
The strength of schedule statement you said is false. If you looked up the S.O.S. for Kansas compared to Ohio State, you will see that OSU played a stronger schedule. In the poll I checked, Kansas made it's way alllll the way up to #80 after playing the #3 team in the country. Ohio State became #64 after playing #2 LSU. Also, your statement saying that OSU didn't play out of conference is false; they played at Washington (which was a solid team when we scheduled the game) early in the season. Just to clear up the factual errors.
But the moral of the story is this: Both teams played terrible schedules, but Kansas's was bad because they didn't play 3 of the top 4 teams in their own conference (not including Kansas: Texas, Tech, OU). OSU's schedule was bad because the other historically great Big Ten teams (Penn State, Michigan, Wisconsin) fell down on the job this year. The Illinois team that OSU lost to is the same team which lost 40-34 on a last minute interception in the end zone. They would've played Kansas tough if not beat them. And Mizzou would've beat Kansas wherever they played. It just so happened that it was on a neutral site.
Kansas had a great season, but they deserved the little exposure they got in the national spotlight. With a poor strength of schedule that was hovering around 100 throughout the season and no wins against the top 4 teams in the Big 12, how could anyone take this team to seriously contend for a national title?
Great season Mangino. The schedule will be a little tougher next year (as will OSU's) so if they win some games next time, they'll actually get some respect.
7 months ago
Right, Wisconsin is the yearly powerhouse...oh, and that's right, Penn State has been the national title contender over the last 5 years, right? Good thing Michigan has D2 softies to pad their stats, eh? I have an idea, let's schedule App State next year for homecoming, that should be an easy win Michigan? Whatever.
I am happy with how KU did this year and accept the beating it took. There will be no end to this debate or how sorry OSU was to back into a national championship game this year. LSU did well to show everyone how undeserving the Buckeyes were of their berth. I do not feel that KU should have particularly played in any other game than they did. I think they were rightly matched. I personally would have liked to have seen one more game against Mizzou but they beat us. All props.
That said, the ranking they received was not appropriate and yes, I am a bit stewed by it. Whatcha' gonna do though. For as long as the BCS and D1 rankings are driven by politics and money, large schools like OSU (with 80k students...there better be a few more than KU's 26k students who can play ball) who will continue to influence the decision-makers with their swagger.
Main question--why is it that the Big 10 is *against* a BCS playoff? Cause they can't stand the idea of losing status when they get beat each year from opposing conferences.... think about it!
7 months ago
You're right the Lil 10 is bogus. Another problem we have is that the Big 10 gets an automatic berth in the Rose Bowl, almost always. This resulted in Illinois getting to play in a game they should have never been in, either. That's where Mizzou got gipped, not by KU.
KU and Ohio State are the ones that should have played each other. I'm not saying that should have been the national championship, but that's the way it is. And the winner of that game should have been #2 and "sorry, you shoulda played a tougher schedule, better luck next year." I'm all for that and I agree. But that's not what happened. Instead KU got screwed over times ten.
write a new comment